There Will Come Soft Rains

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about the nuclear arms race in the aftermath of World War II? If you’re not familiar with this era, answer this question: How do you imagine people might respond to the invention of increasingly deadly nuclear weapons?

Teaching Suggestion: Understanding the fear that many people experienced with the proliferation of nuclear weapons is paramount in understanding the context of “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Having students access their background knowledge or imagine what people felt at that time may help them understand the story.

• This site from the Wisconsin Historical Society provides insight into the fear that was common after the United States dropped the first atomic bomb.
• This timeline of the development of nuclear weapons from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons shows how the weapons became increasingly destructive.

2. Are you familiar with the life and work of Ray Bradbury? Can you name any of his short stories or novels? What genres did he write, and what kinds of imagery come to mind with his name?

Teaching Suggestion: Bradbury was a prolific writer of science fiction who critiqued advancements in technology, particularly those of the nuclear era. 

• This eulogy from the New York Times provides an overview of his life and his impact on literature. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• This article from the Saturday Evening Post describes Bradbury’s impact on the comic book industry.

Short Activity

How has technology advanced in your lifetime? Brainstorm a list of technological advancements in your notes or in a reading journal. In small groups, contribute your examples to a word cloud on the white board or other display.

Then, considering what advancements you’ve seen, make a series of predictions about the future of technology.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity may help students prepare for the science fiction elements of “There Will Come Soft Rains” and appreciate Bradbury’s prescience as a writer and thinker.

• This article from Business Insider describes technological inventions that were first predicted in works of science fiction.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from practice in speaking and listening might discuss their predictions aloud with a partner; those who would benefit from an artistic outlet might draw or sketch their predictions.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the story.

What do you imagine a world without humans would be like? What do you think might cause the end of humanity?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity, whether done orally or in writing, will prepare students for the absence of humans in “There Will Come Soft Rains” and the themes of The Limits of Scientific Progress, Order and Chaos, and Death and the Passage of Time.

• This article from BBC Science Focus provides a speculative timeline of what might happen to Earth after the extinction of humanity.

Differentiation Suggestion: Responses can be written or completed as a conversation. Additionally, visual learners or those who would like to practice artistic skills may prefer to illustrate their ideas.